Apparatus for producing sublimed sulfur.



PATENTED DEG.17, 1907.

' A. WALTER. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SUBLIMED SULFUR.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 16, 1905.

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I A. WALTER. APPARATUS FOR PRODUGINGVSUBLIMBD SULFUR.

APPLICATION FILED 00116, 1905.

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\ ARTHUR WALTER, or NAPLES, ITALY.

Arnnnrus non PRODUCING sUBLmEn SULFUR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

Application filed 0ctober16.1905- Serial No. 282.916.

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR WALTER, a

citizen of the .United States, resident of Naples, Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Producing sublimed, Sulfur, of which the followin is a specification.

Iy invention relates to apparatus for continuously producing sublimed sulfur and has for its object to produce sublimed sulfur of extreme and uniform fineness in an economical manner and with absolute safety against fire or explosion.

My invention will be described in detail hereinafter, and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, with parts in section, of my improved apparatus; Fig. 2

is a plan view of same; 3 is a detail section of the retort and adjacent parts.

A represents a retort preferably made ;of

cast iron andlocated in a suitable furnace B.

is to enter retort A. A

At one end this retort is provided with a door C to permit cleaning. A pipe D connects said retort A with 'a boiler E in which the raw sulfur is heated and melted and then pipe A connects said retort with a tube F which has one end connected by means of a pipe F, with a blower G. The other end of the tube F is connected through the medium of a pipe F with a metallic cooling chamber H. A pipe or tube H affords communication between the cooling chamber Hand a collector I, which collector I is in turn connected with the suction port of the blower G by means of pipe J, J, J and J H and the collector I may be of any suitable construction. In Fig. 3 I have shown an injector K of any approved construction located in the tube, F for the purpose of increasing the draft.

Inoperation the raw sulfur is first melted in the boiler E and then introduced by the pipe D into the retort A. A strong current of air or better still inert gas is driven by the blower G through the pipe F, tube F and pipe F into the cooling chamber Ht This current tends to produce a vacuum in the retort A thus causing a rapid sublimation of the sulfur insaid retort.

The vapors of sulfur in the retort are carried by the aforesaid current of inert gas through the connection A to the tube F and The cooling chamber through said tube F and pipe .F into the 'cooling chamber H, in which chamber said sulfur vapors become condensed and are thus transformed into an extremely fine powder of sulfur. After this condensation has taken place in the cooling chamber the current drives the sublimed sulfur through the pipe I-I into the collector I: The pipe H has a downward, enlarged outlet opening a which under the action of the current causes the i powdered sulfur to spread out horizontally on the bottom of the collector (instead of rising) and to deposit itself in the bottom of the collector, wluch may be furnished with sack or bag holes, I), b, so that the powdered sulfur may be filled directly into such sacks or bags.

The inert gas at the top of the collector I is sucked back byithe blower G throu h the pipes J, J, J 2 and J a complete circiilation beingv thus obtained. If this complete circulation were not maintained, the current would produce a pressure in the collector and in the cooling chamber, and cause a loss of sulfur or vapors'if any opening or crevice were to allow said. current to escape. Furthr, the.pressure would finally become so great that the apparatus would have to be stopped to revent explosion.

' If the su limi plant is only small, with one retort, a coo ing tube may be used to convey the sulfur into the collector, instead of the cooling I chamber. If an increased draft or current is desired, the injector K shown in Figf8 may be used.

. Up to the present time, sublimed sulfur, could not be manufactured in a continuous way, as the large chambers heretofore used, in which the sulfur was condensed, gave sulfur of various degrees of fineness, according to the length of said chambers and distance from the retort, thus resulting in an uneven,

product. It .was also necessary to allow these chamb rs to cool from one to two days, or until the residue of condensed sulfur had deposited itself on the ground, before the said sulfur melts during the rocess inthe sub-' limation chambers near t e retort, instead of being transformed into powder.

To avoid the melting of the sulfur and its formation into groups of particles my ap aratus causes a movement of the vapors and of the particles .of sulfur, also a quick circulalation of-the inert gas (which is used instead of air, so as to'prevent the danger of explosion) which gas is sucked into the retort by the fan and drawn from the retort and forced into the cooling chamber, and from the cooling chamber into the collector. This procedure has another advantage, as the strong current sucks the vapors of sulfur coming from the retort and tends to produce a vacuum, by which sulfur is distilled much more rapidly and with less heat,.the charge in the retort is evaporated in much less time, thus resultin in considerable saving in fuel and labor. ith my apparatus the same cooling chamber enlarged would serve for several retorts, placed one near to the other. The same fan and the same collector will also suffice for two or four retorts meanwhile, if working with only one retort, no chamber is required, a tube or a conveying casewith parallel metal sides being sufficient to hasten the cooling of the vapors. As'before stated, the

sulfur, before being introduced into the retort, is melted in-the ordinary way in the boiler E. Although a strong current of air would undoubtedly cool the vapors, so that no fire could break out, still I prefer to use the inert gas as electric phenomena must occur while sulfur is moving in air in the form of a very fine owder, which phenomena might cause acc1dent. The inert gas which is employed is produced with very small cost and makes an outbreak of fire or an explosion absolutely impossible.

Before starting the apparatus it is to be filled entirely with inert gas, using the same blower fan for the purpose, the air in the ap paratus being permitted to escape through a suitable valve as d.

'Va'rious modifications may bemade without departing'froin the nature of my invention'.

\ The inert gas is sucked into the-a paratus through the tube X at the start, an may be admitted continuously during the rocess.

The method herein described orms the 2. The combination of the cooling cham;

ber H and means for forcing inert gases and powdered sulfur into it, with its discharge pipe H having downward outlet a, and with the collector I and means for withdrawing gas therefrom, all for depositing sulfur on the bottom of the collector.

3. An apparatus for subliming sulfur, which comprises a boiler, a retort-communieating therewith, an injector having asuction connection with the retort, a cooling chamber having a connection with theoutlet of, the injector, a collector connected with the outlet of the cooling chamber, and means for conveying the gases from the collector to the injector so as to form a continuous circuit 4. An apparatus for subliming sulfur, which comprises a retort having an inletconnection and an outlet connection, a boiler:

connected with the inlet connection of the retort, a suction pipe communicating with the outlet connection of the retort to withdraw vapors therefrom, a collector for the' gas and vapors from said retort and suction pipe, and means for conveying the gases from. the collector back to the suction pipe so as to form a continuous circuit.

In testimony whereof I have si ned my name in the presence of two subscri ing wit-" nesses.

ARTHUR Witnesses: g

ZEFIRINO G. MASSIMINO, RoBoRTo DE MOSSELLE. 

